Is it too early for Christmas?

My husband and I enjoy Sunday afternoon drives and not long ago we noticed a few homes with Christmas lights still up...then I pointed out we can't say "still" because after June 25th, we are officially on the downhill slide toward the holidays = Now we should consider these merry folk "EARLY" with their decorating! So I'm just helping you get a jump on the holidays and help you create some lovely greeting cards EARLY with the Big Shot August Special and the Bright & Beautiful stamp set and framelits:

 

Card Recipe (All supplies from Stampin' Up!): 

Stamps: Bright & Beautiful stamp set (Holiday Catalog!)

Ink: Silver Encore pad (132142)

Paper: Whisper White and Smoky Slate card stock, Silver Fancy Foil Vellum (133364), Silver Foil Sheets (132178)

Accessories:  Stars Framelits (133723), Big Shot, 1/8" Silver Ribbon (132137), Lucky Stars Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (132817), Silver Embossing powder (109131), Rhinestone Jewels (119246)

And special thanks to Create with Connie and Mary for the beautiful sketch challenge this week (CCMC315)...it was perfect for this card!

Bee Inspired...By a Challenge

I've been itching to update the blog and this card gave me a reason to do it! It was a wonderful opportunity to combine the Splitcoast Stampers Embossing Folder Stamping technique , the color challenge over at Create with Connie & Mary and the SUonly Birds, Bees & Butterflies challenge :

Card Recipe (All supplies can be ordered from my Stampin' Up! Store):

Stamp Sets: Flower Shop, Petite Petals, Feel Goods
Ink: Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay, Basic Black
Paper: Watercolor paper, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral and Very Vanilla card stock
Accessories: Petite Petals and Pansy punches, Oval Framelits and Big Shot, Honeycomb embossing folder, Gingham Garden washi tape, large Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Crisp Canteloupe thick baker's twine, colored Sharpie Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals.

3-D Paper Piecing: Attention to Detail

My style is simple. Usually. But when I saw the Friday Mashup Challenge for 3-D Paper Piecing, my interest was piqued and this little elephant from the You're Amazing stamp set came to mind:

I did my paper piecing a little different as I didn't have the 3-d glue suggested in the tutorial video, so I cut out the largest whole elephant image (including hat), then layered it on my base with the Multipurpose Liquid Glue, next cut out the elephant head/trunk/hat and adhered that, and finally, the party hat! Other than that, I followed the tutorial substituting the tools I had from Stampin' Up!

It's fussy, detail-oriented work, but I loved the result! You can watch Mariska's tutorial on Splitcoaststampers. 

Combining the Friday Mashup 3-D and color challenge with the sketch from Create with Connie & Mary, here is the finished card:

I've also challenged my Stampin' Family to "Go for the GOLD" so you may notice the gold sequins that add a little bling to the whole thing as an homage to the US Olympic Team :)

If you love this card, you can make one of your own at my 3-D Card Class on February 20th!

Card Recipe (all supplies available in my Stampin' Up! Store):

Stamps: You're Amazing
Ink: Stazon Black, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist stamp pads. Stampin' Write Markers: Smoky Slate, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky, Marina Mist and Primrose Petals. Blender Pens.
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Soft Sky, Whisper White and Crumb Cake card stock. Scraps from Christmas DSP (?), Polka Dot Parade & Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper
Accessories: Primrose Petals 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon (#126844), Gold Sequin Trim (#132983), Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Circle Collection Framelits, Big Shot, 2-1/2" Circle Punch (#120906), Essentials Paper Piercing Pack (#126187), Paper Piercing Tool, Stampin' Pierce Mat, Stylus, Stampin' Dimensionals

Stretching My Muscles with Mosaic Madness

It was a challenge in the truest sense of the word: This color combination from Create with Connie and Mary made me stretch my creativity!

Since it was a challenging color scheme, I chose to use a stamp set I haven't had any inspiration with either (a double whammy, I guess you could say). Here's my creation:

It turned out better than expected, and I feel more confident in using the Mosaic Madness stamp set, too.

Card Recipe
Stamps: Mosaic Madness, Yippee Skippee
Ink: Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand, Tangerine Tango ink pads and markers
Paper: Naturals White, Always Artichoke and Sahara Sand card stock
Accessories: Mosaic Punch (131267), Big Shot (113439) and Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder (129984), 1/8" Mini Brads (122941), Stampin' Dimensionals

5 Ways on Fridays: Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit

The pieces of the new Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit (item 133463) in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog were designed to decorate a Thanksgiving table, but of course, people get crafty and find new ways to utilize the parts in unique ways, so come along as I share a few of my favorites! Leave a link to other awesome crafts using this kit in the comments. 

1. Starting with cards, here's a pocket card I created from the Tablescape kit following the 

Create with Connie & Mary sketch 273: 

All I added was a crumb cake envelope (for the pocket), a piece of Early Espresso card stock, a strip of 1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon (132140) and I punched the circle using the 2-1/2" circle punch (120906). 

2. At SU! convention in July, Sara Douglass demonstrated how to create a Thankful Journal from the Tablescape kit, but my photos weren't that great, so a quick internet search found another Sarah (Sagert) who had crafted her own...with some nice pictures of her lovely pages :)

3. Admittedly, I'm a sucker for anything in a mason jar, so Jessica Lewis' simply sweet Thankful Jar immediately appealed to me! Can't you just imagine filling this with reasons to be grateful? 

The Birch paper and chocolate chip herringbone paper both come on a roll in the kit and are perfect for wrapping around a vase, jar or candle. 

4. Allison Okamitsu (a very talented Canadian demonstrator) created the last two gorgeous home decor projects from the Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit. The first is a Thankful Banner and you see more of this beauty by clicking on the picture.  

5. I love Allison's style and her blog is "Nice People Stamp". Haven't met her, but it's a given she's one NICE person to share her talents! This is also her creation~A frame covered in the Birch-bark paper from the kit. Isn't the banner adorable? Visit Allison's tutorial for the frame HERE (or click on photo)

Thanks for checking out my 5 Ways on Fridays collection! Order the Thanksgiving Tablescape Kit from my Stampin' Store to create some fabulous Fall creations of your own, then post a link to them in the comments so we can be inspired by YOU!

A Card for a Special Occasion

Today I made a card for my dear friend and downline, Sally Hadley, who just passed $100,000 in career sales with Stampin' Up! It had to be SPECIAL to celebrate such an awesome accomplishment, so I combined it with Connie & Mary's color challenge and spent a happy hour crafting this masterpiece:

 To make it even more exciting, the inside slides out and the balloon floats up:

I was surprised at how much I thought about Sally as I created this card for her: She has been a friend for 14 years and I love visiting with her. We share the same faith, struggles and goals, and talking to her is easy. She is thoughtful and kind, sarcastic (in a good way), easy-going, dependable, loyal, tenacious, hard working and fun to be with.  She likes simple, quick crafting and you can see her artwork over on SallyStamper, Ink FB page. Yesterday was her birthday, too, so wish her a HBD if you stop by! That's one of the benefits of stamping something specifically for a friend, I guess ~an opportunity to reflect on what they mean to you and the satisfaction of creating something special, just for them. 

Sadly, I don't have a picture of us together (an error I intend to correct the next time I see her), but this is her doing what she loves best: Stamping!

Way to go, Sally! I'm proud of you and know this is going to be your best year ever :)

Feminine Colors and County Fair

Needed a special thank you card and the color challenge over at Create with Connie & Mary this week epitomized the person I am sending it to:

And here is my finished project :

Card Recipe (all from Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: En Francais background stamp, Too Kind and Itty Bitty Banners
Ink: Smoky Slate, Pistachio Pudding, Blushing Bride, Versamark
Paper: Blushing Bride, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder (109130), Heat Tool, Sponge Daubers (102892). Big Shot Machine, Deco Labels Collection Framelits (130102), Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder (129984), Silver 1/8" ribbon (132137)

In other news...I won a blue ribbon (actually two) at the Utah County Fair for some of my paper creations!

Sketchin' It Today...

Just having fun with the sketch over at Create with Connie and Mary today...one super simple version and another simply simple for CCMC263:

Card Recipe (all supplies from Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Paper Pumpkin Welcome Kit (For more info on My Paper Pumpkin, read THIS POST)
Ink: Whisper White & Early Espresso stamp pads
Paper: Early Espresso card stock and Soho Subway Designer Series Paper (130140)
Accessories: Epic Day Washi Tape (131269) and Hardware Clips Essentials (129964)

Card Recipe (all from SU!):
Stamps: Too Kind and Loving Thoughts
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Pear Pizzaz and Always Artichoke
Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Pear Pizzaz and Whisper White card stock
Accessories: Decorative Label Punch (120907), 1-3/8" circle punch (119860), Paper Piercing Tool, Beautiful Wings Embosslit (118318), Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder (129984), Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine (113439) and Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246) 

A Shapely Birthday

I've needed to make birthday cards for my Stampin' Family, and the sketch over at Create with Connie & Mary inspired me to make this simple, shapely and cheerful greeting (with a little embossed bling on the birthday)!

Don't be afraid to take a sketch and turn it on it's side, like I did with this one:

Card Recipe (all supplies from Stampin' Up!):

Stamps: Blue Ribbon (wood~131964 or clear~125981)
Ink: Bermuda Bay (131171) and Raspberry Ripple (126859)
Paper:  Calypso Coral, Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla card stock, Birthday Basics DSP(130145) 
Accessories: Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder (131930), Heat Tool (129053), Big Shot (113439), Oval Accent Bigz Clear die (127055),  Ovals Collection framelits (129381), 2-3/8" Scallop Circle punch (118874), Occasions Paper Piercing Pack (129387), Paper Piercing Tool (126189) and Stampin' Pierce Mat (126199).  

As always, you can order supplies HERE and don't forget that Designer Series Paper (DSP) is Buy 3, Get 1 FREE this month and if you order on my website during July 2013, enter hostess code JF3KWJT7 because someone will be the "Mystery Hostess" and get some fun goodies this month!

I'm going to make a bunch of these cards with the other papers in the same pack and I'll post a picture on my FB Fan Page, if you want to see samples in varying colors and designs :)

Feeling Pink Today

After a much needed vacation (where I pretty much did nothing and loved every moment of it), I'm back and have had a few fun minutes in my stamp room creating :) Today I was feeling PINK, so I jumped into the Create with Connie & Mary challenge! Here's sketch 257:

And here is my take on it:

Card Recipe (All Supplies from Stampin' Up! ~ Order Here):

Stamps: Remembering Your Birthday
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Pistachio Pudding
Paper: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette and Pistachio Pudding card stock, Tea Lace Paper Doilies (129399)
Accessories: Big Shot (113439), Apothocary Accents Framelits (127003), Stripes Embossing Folder (123128) and Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder (117335), Decorative Label (120907) and Scallop Edge Border (119882) punches, White Organza Ribbon (114319) and Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246).

Here for You

I believe God gives us experiences to uniquely prepare us to help others. I've been blessed to have a dear friend who is struggling right now and trusts me to be there when she needs me because our experiences have been very similar. It is a stewardship I am grateful for, and pray every day for guidance from my Heavenly Father that I may say the right thing to help lift and strengthen her. Today's card is for her.

Serendipitously, I was able to tie it to two of my favorite challenges at Create with Connie & Mary and SU Only :) Wish you could see the sparkles on some of the raindrops just a little better...

Card Recipe (all supplies from Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Million-Dollar Moments (Spring catalog)  
• Ink: Island Indigo (stamp it off to make it lighter) 
• Paper: Whisper White, Island Indigo, Bashful Blue and vellum card stock, Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper (126922) 
• Accessories: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch (119275), Designer Printed Brads (122940), 1/4" White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (126877), Dazzling Details (124117), Stampin' Dimensionals 

One of my favorite quotes is from a modern day prophet, Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) who said, "God does watch over us and does notice us, 

but it usually through someone else that he meets our needs."

May you find someone to serve who has been praying for you today!

Tuesday Treat! Cream Cheese Mints & Cookie Stamps

Sugar is the "other" food group and when you combine cream cheese and sugar, I am in love! When I found a Cream Cheese Mint recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it with the SU! cookie stamps. It gets better: Over at Create with Connie & Mary, the creative challenge was to make a treat holder, AND Valentine's Day is just 48 hours away, so let's start with the finished product, then I'll walk you through it :)

Adorable, huh? My mint cracked after I got it all finished, but that's okay because I have more pictures of the mints along with the recipe, so just hang on...

First, the treat holder recipe (all supplies from Stampin' Up!):

1. Card stock: Real Red, Pool Party, Very Vanilla
2. Designer Series Paper: More Amore (129309)
3. Ink: Real Red (126949)
4. Stamps: Itty Bitty Banners (Catalog pg. 134)
5. Ribbon: Pool Party 1/2" Seam Binding (125582)
6. Pearl Basic Jewels (119247)
7. Labels Collection Framelits (125598), Hearts Collection Framelits (125599) and Big Shot Machine (113439)
8. Simply Scored Tool (122334)

And here's a simple tutorial:

1. Score a 3 1/2" x 10 1/4" piece of Real Red card stock at 1 1/4", 5 1/4", 5 3/4" and 6 1/4"

2. Use a framelit from the Labels Collection and place it at the end of your scored card stock with the upper plate just to the 1 1/4" score mark and run it through the big shot. 

 

3. Adhere a 3 1/4" x 3 3/4" piece of More Amore DSP to the front (the 4" flap without a score mark) and fold along the other score marks, with the center bottom score folding up inside the treat holder. Fold the shaped flap over the top and place your heart framelit under the flap.  

4. Using a post-it note to hold the heart in place, unfold your treat holder and run through the big shot so the heart only cuts through the front:

5. Put your mint or cookie into a small cellophane bag inside the treat holder, fold top flap over and punch through treat bag and add ribbon (you can also cheat and staple the treat bag inside the holder like I did before adding the ribbon). Embellish as desired!

 

Now let's move to the Cream Cheese Mint Recipe!

1. 8 oz. Cream Cheese
2. 1/4 c. Butter (softened)
3. 2 lbs. Powdered Sugar (plus extra for rolling and stamping)
4. Food Coloring (gel food coloring works best)
5. Extract flavorings of your choice.

Preparation: In heavy pan, combine cream cheese and butter. Stir over low heat until mixture is soft and blended well. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar. Blend well.

Divide dough into smaller bowls (depending on how many colors/flavors you desire). Add coloring and flavoring to taste. I used Orange extract/orange color, Vanilla/purple and Almond/pink, but you could use lemon, mint, root beer, etc. Mix each bowl with separate utensil so you don't transfer flavors or colors. I found it easiest to mix with my hands, washing in between each kneading. Cover bowls with damp towel when you aren't mixing them.

Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper. Working with one bowl at a time, roll the dough into small balls (about 1 1/2" if using the SU! cookie stamps). If the dough is sticky, mix in a little more powdered sugar. Dust cookie stamp with sugar (to prevent sticking) and press into each ball. Work quickly, as dough can dry & crack...ask a friend or child to help!

Let dry on cookie sheets for 24-48 hours, turning once to let the other side dry, too.
FYI: Original recipe found here.

  

The cookie press stamps come in three different sets and each set includes 3 silicone stamps and a wooden handle for just $16.95. Visit my store to purchase any of the Stampin' Up! supplies listed in today's post and open your pantry to find the rest of the ingredients!

CAUTION: Make sure you have someone to share these with or you WILL eat them all!!!

Shimmer & Shine

If I were a drinker (I'm not), I would try champagne just because I love the name. Come on, say it with me: "SHAM-PANE". Champage, Champage, Champage...say it three times and click your heels together and you'll be taken to a wonderful castle in a cloud! Okay, maybe not, but drink in this beautiful card created with the Champagne Glimmer Paper (Item 127885) and Very Vanilla card stock (this week's color challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary~CCMC230):

Must say I adore how the Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon (Item 122332) matches so beautifully, tying all the elegant elements together :) I used the Stripes embossing folder (Item 123128) for the background, used the Label Collection Framelits to cut the focal points and embossed the New Year's single stamp (Item 132336) in gold. This stamp is fabulous because you can use it year after year. I'll be using this card for many upcoming events!

Check out more of the single stamps by clicking on the link on the right (only available through January 2, 2013) and of course, the Clearance Rack Blitz!